Imaging nervous pathways with MR tractography

Abstract

This paper describes the state of the art of tractography, a technique which enables the virtual reconstruction of axon bundles of the central nervous system using diffusion–weighted magnetic resonance images. This technique has raised enthusiasm and expectations among specialists because it is the only non–invasive method for studying the three–dimensional architecture of axonal fibres in vivo. Tractography is a new technique used to assess the anatomy of the central nervous system, and it will be available for routine clinical use in the future. Understanding its potential applications and limitations is therefore important.